Article IV — Recycling Facilities

A. Zones and permit required. Recycling facilities are permitted in the zones listed in the table below, subject to the permit specified and the other requirements of this chapter:

B. Permit for multiple sites. A single administrative permit, zoning administrator conditional use permit, or

planning and design commission conditional use permit may be approved for more than one facility on more than one site if:

1. The operator of each of the proposed facilities is the same;

2. The proposed facilities are determined to be similar in nature, size, and intensity of activity; and

3. All of the applicable criteria and standards set forth in the development standards or operational standards in this section are met for each such proposed facility. (Ord. 2024-0051 § 18; Ord. 2020-0006 § 7; Ord. 20130020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)

A. A facility owner or operator shall remove all litter generated by the recycling operation. The facility owner or operator shall provide litter control at the entrance(s) of the facility and along the street, sidewalk and setback areas

adjacent to the facility.

B. A facility owner or operator shall control dust generated from the facility to the maximum extent feasible, subject to the direction of the solid waste manager or designee. Dust control measures may include, but are not limited to, misting systems, water trucks, manual or mechanical sweeping, and use of negative ventilation.

C. A facility owner or operator shall control odors generated by the facility and prevent the migration of odors offsite to the maximum extent feasible, subject to the direction of the solid waste manager or designee. Odor control measures may include misting systems, masking agents, containment and use of negative ventilation. At the request of the solid waste manager or designee, the facility owner or operator shall conduct an odor investigation, provide a written report of the investigation, and correct identified problems.

D. Upon request of a city representative, the facility owner or operator shall attend neighborhood meetings to answer questions about facility operations.

E. Noise levels shall not exceed standards established by the Sacramento City Code.

F. Operating hours shall be between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. when located within 200 feet of a residentially-zoned or occupied property. Operating hours for convenience recycling are pursuant to section 17.228.430.J. (Ord. 20130020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)

The following standards apply to new or expanded recycling facilities, except for convenience recycling, that require a conditional use permit. See section 17.228.430 for development standards for convenience recycling.

A. Solid fencing shall be installed and maintained around the site. Fencing shall be a minimum of six feet in height in order to prevent visibility of processing operations and stock piled or processed materials. Fencing shall be installed behind the required landscaped area.

B. All recyclable materials shall be stored in receptacles, within an on-site building, or behind a screened or fenced area to prevent visibility from adjacent roadways and parcels.

C. No portion of the facility activities, operations, storage, or other work shall encroach into the required, landscaped areas, or setback.

D. Any undeveloped area of a site shall be surrounded by a barrier constructed to prohibit access to the area. Barriers may include six-inch minimum barrier curbing, bollards, fencing, or landscaping.

E. All on-site access areas, tipping areas, staging areas, and sorting areas shall be surfaced with asphalt concrete or concrete paving.

F. Signs shall meet the requirements in the sign ordinance for the zone in which the facility is located and must be consistent with the character of the location.

G. No recycling or trash enclosures or receptacle shall be located in any required setback area. (Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)

A convenience recycling facility requires an administrative permit. The following standards apply to new or expanded convenience recycling facilities.

A. The facility is an accessory use and shall be operated only in conjunction with an existing and operating commercial use or community service facility that is in compliance with all applicable zoning, building, and fire codes of the city and that is located in a convenience zone as defined under the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act (Public Resources Code section 14500 et seq.).

B. The facility shall be no larger than 500 square feet and, if located in a parking lot, shall occupy no more than five parking spaces not including spaces that will be periodically needed for removal of materials or exchange of the collection receptacles. No parking spaces required for the primary host use may be occupied by the facility.

C. The facility shall be set back at least 10 feet from any street or building on an adjacent parcel and 25 feet from any property zoned or occupied for residential use; shall not be located in any required setback, and shall not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular circulation.

D. The facility owner or operator shall accept only post-consumer recyclable containers comprised of glass, plastic, or metal and commonly found in household generated waste.

E. The facility owner or operator shall not accept scrap metals.

F. Materials may be processed on site, but only within an enclosed structure and only to the extent necessary for volume reduction to accommodate the collection schedule. No power-driven processing equipment may be used except for reverse vending machines and battery-powered compactors. In facilities located within 100 feet of a property zoned or occupied for residential use, transferring glass bottles from one receptacle to another shall be done only within an enclosed structure or shall utilize sound baffles or other acoustical shielding.

G. The facility owner or operator shall use only durable waterproof and rustproof collection receptacles of sufficient capacity to accommodate the materials collected and the collection schedule. The receptacles shall be covered and secured when the attendant is not present. The receptacles shall be clearly marked to identify the type of material which may be deposited.

H. All recyclable material shall be stored in the collection receptacles at all times, and shall not be left outside of the collection receptacles when no attendant is present.

I. The owner or operator shall maintain the facility free of litter and any other undesirable materials and shall sweep the facility at the end of each collection day.

J. Facilities located within 100 feet of a property zoned or occupied for residential use shall operate only during the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Facilities that are operated by an attendant and that are located more than 100 feet of a property zoned or occupied for residential use shall operate only during the hours between dawn and dusk. Unattended facilities located more than 100 feet of a property zoned or occupied for residential use may operate 24 hours a day.

K. Materials shall be removed from the facility on a routine basis. Materials may be collected and transported from the facility and collection receptacles may be delivered only during the facility's hours of operation or between dawn and dusk, whichever is more restrictive.

L. The facility shall be illuminated to ensure comfortable and safe operation if operating hours are between dusk and dawn.

M. The facility shall be clearly marked to identify the name and telephone number of the facility operator and the hours of operation and shall display a notice stating that no material shall be left outside the collection receptacles. N. The facility shall not impair the landscaping required for any concurrent use by this title or any permit issued pursuant thereto.

O. No parking spaces are required for a convenience recycling facility located in the established parking lot of a host use.

P. The design and color of the facility shall be compatible with the existing commercial use or community service facility on the site. Improvements may be required to ensure compatibility, including, but not limited to, landscaping, screening, trailer skirting, and parking lot improvements.

Q. A convenience recycling facility that cannot meet the standards listed above shall be considered a minor or major recycling facility subject to the permit specified in section 17.228.400. (Ord. 2025-0007 § 26; Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)

Temporary recycling operations at manufacturing facilities are permitted with a zoning administrator's conditional use permit in the C-4, M-1, M-2, M-1(S), and M-2(S) zones. Temporary operations must meet the criteria in this section. A. One temporary permit will be issued for a maximum of 90 days per calendar year for a site qualifying as a manufacturing site. No extensions of time will be permitted per site per calendar year.

B. The proposed site for the temporary permit shall comply with all recycling operation standards in section 17.228.410.

C. All equipment brought in for the temporary recycling operations shall be removed on or before the last day of the temporary permit.

D. Recycling operations are limited to the recycling of on-site materials that result from normal business operations conducted on the site. Off-site materials are not allowed to be accepted for recycling during the temporary recycling period granted. (Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)